


Lightning in a Bottle

by roguetimebot



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Crazy Azula, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Not Canon Compliant - The Legend of Korra, Post-Canon, Slow Build, i adore aang and have no intention to villainize him, not planning on bring up Zuko's mom in any let's-go-find-her capacity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-07-19 02:52:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7341637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguetimebot/pseuds/roguetimebot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the conclusion of the war, Zuko puts Azula's punishment to vote. An unexpected consensus could test Zuko's sense of duty, as well as his growing friendship with Katara.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Adjusting to the Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> No rights to Avatar: The Last Airbender

There are lots of magnificent things about Toph, Zuko thinks. None of them have anything to do with politics.

"Why don't we just make it illegal to burn people's face off?" Toph questions from her position on the floor. She just lies on the floor when it suits her. She claims it helps her think better.

"It _is_ illegal to burn someone's face off," Zuko informs her, clasping his hands together.

The entire group, besides Suki, who busied herself with warrior things whenever the concept of political participation came up, crowded into his office of sorts. A table is scattered with papers for all sorts of boring things. Toph, Katara, and Sokka don't have any royal blood or esteemed position in the Fire Nation, but by association, they were pulled into the sometimes dangerous, but mostly dreary world of it.

"That settles it, then," Sokka comes to Toph's aid. He sits on the floor near her head. "Azula should be thrown in jail. She's burned plenty of people to crisps."

"True," Zuko agrees, "but with her mental stability being called into question, a swift sentencing might not be easy to attain."

"How does that make sense?" Katara frowns. She and Aang sit atop the table Zuko currently rests his elbows upon. "Just because she's psycho means she shouldn't face consequences?"

"Have you seen her since you defeated her?" Zuko directs at her. "She's not like she was."

"She's _more_ dangerous," Katara decides. "She's a loose cannon."

"This isn't as simple as punishing a wrongdoer," Zuko tells her. "Azula, back when she was still Azula, did right in the eyes of my father, who had many supporters. Some might think she's innocent of all charges."

"Innocent?!" Sokka exclaims, his voice taking on a familiar squeak. "We know how many times she's tried to kill us."

"For what she thought would be my father's and this kingdom's gain," Zuko challenges.

"Why are you defending her, Zuko?" Katara asks. "You of all people know what she was capable of."

Zuko almost thinks he feels his abdomen seer with pain at the memory.

"Yeah, why defend her?" Toph asks, lazily flicking her wrist into the air. "And it's not just trying to kill you. Think of all the other people she's burned to crisps. Do you know what it's like to have your face burned off?"

Zuko gives her an unrealized pointed stare. The moment of silence following the statement has much the same effect meeting his gaze would have.

"Oh . . ." Toph recalls. She rises to a sitting position to defend herself. "Well, you guys can actually _see_ his face when you look at him! You get a reminder!"

"You're quiet, Aang," Zuko points out, turning to his young friend. "What's your opinion on this?"

Four gazes, one of them less effective than the others, turn toward him. Aang creases his brow thoughtfully.

"As Avatar and firelord, and whatever you guys are," he adds hastily with a look to his less royal friends, "we should try and do what's best for the citizens of the fire nation."

"Well, what's best for the fire nation?" Sokka begs the question.

"Well," Katara says, "why don't we ask them?"

* * *

There's not all that much democracy in the fire nation. Could a democracy exist within a monarchy? One that was corrupt mere days ago, no less?

The group didn't have that answer, but they intend to find out. They decide to hold a vote for what to do with Azula. It seems fair enough. Aang, Toph, and Sokka are sent out to spread the word about to vote set to occur the next day. Sure, it's fast, but it's not like the fire nation is uneducated about Azula, her condition, or her deeds. They can have the night to formulate the opinions.

"You're not coming?" Aang asks Katara on his way out of the office.

"Go on without me," Katara encourages. "I want to talk to Zuko about a few things."

Aang nods, understanding. He pauses a moment longer, and Katara thinks he might be about to kiss her, but he opts not to, instead sliding out of the room and closing the door behind, a fleeting smile across his features.

When two people kiss each other, does that mean they're together? That's a question Katara can trouble herself with later.

She turns back to the desk Zuko lounges at. Maybe "lounge" is the wrong word. It implies some sort of relaxation. Zuko looks tense and nervous, his shoulders high and his brow creased.

"You okay?" Katara asks him kindly, shuffling back to his desk.

Zuko raises a hand over his head and undoes his topknot, letting his hair fall around his face. He doesn't like the topknot thing. It reminds him of his father, his mistakes, his sister… Then again, it is a sign of honor.

"Of course I'm fine," he says, and while he looks haggard, he means it genuinely. "I'm in no position to be bitter about life considering how close I came to losing mine. Thank you again, by the way."

Katara smiles, flushing a bit. She lifts her leg and repositions herself back onto the edge of his desk.

"So, Azula," Katara begins.

"Yeah," he sighs. "Azula."

"What's your sentence?" she asks.

Zuko leans back heavily in his chair. "You know I'm waiting for the vote of the people."

"I know," she nods. "I meant, what's _your_ sentence?"

Zuko eyes her warily. She meets his gaze levelly, patiently waiting for his response. He doesn't provide.

"Zuko, please," she prods gently. "You can tell me."

Zuko purses her lips. He's hesitant. But he believes her.

"She's my sister," he tells her quietly. "A grade-A psycho, but also my sister."

"Does that affect your decision?" she coaxes.

"If it were Sokka, wouldn't it affect yours? No matter what he'd done?"

He's got her there.

"So you want her acquitted?" Katara gathers. "Freed?"

"No," Zuko shakes his head. "I want her healthy." He reconsiders that for a second. "Well, so long as she doesn't revert to her aggressive tendencies."

"Because you know a thing or two about aggressive tendencies?" she smirks.

Zuko chortles at this.

"Can I be honest with you?" Katara hesitates.

"Yeah, always," he shrugs it off as if this should be obvious to her.

She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Azula's aggression didn't only spring from Ozai. If she were to walk free or have a ridiculously short sentence, what makes you think she won't be mad at you? At her situation? At _me_?"'

"You think she'd try to take vengeance on _you_?" Zuko raises an eyebrow at the notion. He hadn't thought of that. He doesn't like the concept one bit.

"I don't know what she's capable of," she admits. "She's volatile. A coiled spring. Chaos personified."

"And my sister," he adds.

"You weren't this fond of her a week ago."

"A week ago, she was more intent on killing me," he points out.

"What's her intent now?"

"That's the thing about thirsting for power and approval, I suppose," Zuko contemplates, tilting his head against the headrest of his chair. "Once you get it, where do you strive?"

"Maybe you could ask Mai," Katara suggests.

He lifts his head, confused. "Mai?"

"Yeah, sure," she nods. "She traveled with Azula for a while. She should know her really well. She probably has valuable input about what to do with her."

"You're right," Zuko nods. He doesn't know why consulting Mai didn't come to him sooner. "Thanks, Katara."

"Sure," she shrugs it off.

"Out of curiosity," Zuko begins, leaning forward onto his elbows, "what would be _your_ sentence?"

"She did try to kill me, if you recall," she reminds him.

"Death sentence, then?"

"What? No! I didn't say that."

* * *

"Okay, listen up, people!" Toph shouts. With a swift upward motion of her palms, the earth below her tears and springs up, creating a convenient, rock podium for her to stand above the crowds on. Sokka squeals as the ground beneath him shifts, and he flails for a moment, gripping Toph by the arm.

"I said _listen!"_ she bellows to the stragglers below when some of them continue walking. "You all know Azula, right?"

"If not, I have a short summary," Sokka offers once he composes himself, still clutching Toph's shoulder for support. It wouldn't have killed her to make this podium thing a bit bigger. "One, she's nuts. Two, she has tried to kill your dashing ruler and the also-dashing Avatar on multiple occasions. Three, she has no friends because she's scary and likes to light people on fire or shoot them with lightning. Sometimes both."

The gathering crowd below murmurs their recognition of Azula. Words like "crazy" and "corrupt" and "war crime" float through the growing audience. The girl's notorious, it would seem.

"Well, tomorrow at sundown, your dashing monarch has scheduled a vote in town square to help decide the punishment Azula could face. So . . . yeah," Sokka trails off charismatically. "Spread the word, I guess."

The crowd erupts into chatter.


	2. The Girl She Once Called Friend

Zuko valued his friends' input when it came to Azula, but none of their opinions did he value more than his Uncle's. He planned to bring the subject of Azula up over tea that afternoon. Turns out, he didn't have to.

"I heard that a vote is to be held to decide Azula's punishment," the aging man says, taking a seat beside his nephew. They currently inhabit one of the palace sitting rooms. Iroh visits Zuko often, more than Zuko found entirely necessary. But he isn't complaining.

"Where did you hear that?" Zuko asks, blowing on his hot tea. It was only after he suffered through the palace servant's many tea-making blunders that he truly appreciated his Uncle's skill with the drink.

"The Avatar has been flying around on that glider of his alerting the townspeople," he explains. "And young Miss Toph has been upheaving the rocks all through the city to make the announcement."

Zuko sighs at that. He hopes Toph doesn't destroy any precious monuments this time.

"It's true," Zuko confirms. "I plan to consult Mai about it later, but I thought I'd come to you first."

Iroh sips his tea. "What is there to ask? You're putting it to vote, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but I could potentially disagree with the decision the people come to."

"That's the voting system for you," Iroh shrugs.

Zuko purses his lips. The thought of the people sentencing his sister to be thrown into a volcano or something occurs to him. He doesn't like the thought. Although Azula could probably handle a volcano.

If she were stable, that is.

"So I have to go along with whatever the vote decides?" Zuko frowns.

"I'm not saying that," Iroh says, "but if you don't, I doubt the general public would take it very well, especially after all these years of propaganda and silencing."

"Maybe I should retract the voting," Zuko considers.

"The people already know about the voting," Iroh shakes his head. "If you retract it now, you will likely make them feel quieted and oppressed."

Zuko leans against the couch, groaning. Perhaps he should've thought this through.

Iroh, taking note of his nephews distress, adds, "Do not underestimate the people of the Fire Nation, Zuko. Perhaps they will come to a wise decision."

"And if they don't?"

"It is not wise to worry about things that may never happen, my nephew," he says. "It is a waste of time and thought. Most of the things we worry about never come to fruition at all."

Zuko runs a hand through his shaggy hair. How can he know if the people come to a wise decision if he doesn't even know what that decision is?

"You look distressed, Firelord Zuko," Iroh notes. "Why don't we go get some fire flakes?"

"Sounds great, Uncle," Zuko accepts. He could do with a nice, quiet meal right now.

"By the way," Iroh says, "does Azula know of these plans for her?"

* * *

Blue fire flies into the curtain, setting them ablaze. That's the fourth set of curtains this week.

"A vote?" Azula shrieks, her voice shrill, the last licks of fire dancing off her tongue. "A _vote_?"

Ty Lee cowers in an armchair, stuffed into one corner of the suite. The room Azula's holed in is relatively luxurious. A four-poster bed, a mahogany dresser, even a window, though it's thankfully too tiny for even her small frame to dive out of.

"The flying guy said something about it," Ty Lee explains, warily eying the ignited curtains to her left. She deftly rises to her feet and releases the curtain rod, letting the burning fabric fall to the ground. She stomps upon the flames quickly until the fire extinguishes.

"By 'flying guy', you mean the Avatar, of course," Azula notes. Her old friend's obliviousness is hardly worth noting anymore.

Ty Lee frowns, catching on to the patronization in her voice. "Maybe."

Azula shrieks again. It doesn't take much for her to resort to that anymore. " _Well, who else would it have been, Ty Lee?!_ "

Ty Lee cowers again. She'd stood up to Azula before, and she's glad she had. And now, the deranged girl has no power over her. However, standing up to her now doesn't feel right.

Azula is not like she was. She was once cool, collected, effortlessly intimidating, able to bring an army to its knees with a look in her eye. Now, she's unhinged, overemotional, and irrational. Ty Lee visits because she feels sorry for the girl she once called a friend. No one else ever visits except her brother. Not even Mai.

"It makes sense that the Avatar would arrange such a thing," Azula begins pacing the room in thought. "Of course, he would have it out for me. Perhaps with the proper velocity in jumping out the window I can escape in time and claim my throne in my father's name."

Ty Lee frowns. Azula is not the strategist she once was. Maybe her mind is too jumbled for it now. However, Ty Lee is no strategist either, and she's sure Azula will be quick to point that out if she makes note of the flaws in this already-considered plan.

"When is this vote?" Azula barks once she's done murmuring about futile escape attempts.

"Tomorrow at sundown," Ty Lee reveals.

"We must avert it."

We? Does she think there's still a 'we'? _Is_ there still a 'we'?

"Maybe the people will surprise you," Ty Lee suggests. "You did almost rule them, after all." And banished a good lot of them for a while, but she leaves out that detail.

Azula scoffs. "People have proven very surprising recently."

Ty Lee wonders if this is partially directed at her. She wants to feel bad, but she doesn't, which consequently makes her feel bad. Emotions are a tricky thing, as exemplified in Azula's current state.

"It's getting late," Ty Lee notes the angle of the sun, an easy task without curtains blocking her view.

"You're leaving?" Azula tries—and fails—to keep the disappointment from her voice.

Ty Lee hops off the armchair and moves toward the door. "I plan to come back soon, as usual. So long as you're not carted off to some prison or something."

Ty Lee leaves on this note, unaware of the foreboding effect the words have on the girl she once called a friend. She slides out of the thick, metal doorway, which is immediately pulled and bolted shut behind her.

Ty Lee turns to face the girl locking the door.

"Why don't you ever come in and talk to her, Mai?" Ty Lee asks curiously.

Mai yanks on the door a few times, making sure it's closed. "I have nothing to say to her."

Once sure the door is properly bolted, she starts down the hallway, Ty Lee falling into step beside her.

"If you have nothing to say to her, then why do you come at all?" she asks.

"I'm making sure you don't get your pretty hair fried off," Mai says with a nonchalant lilt in her voice. She does this intentionally. She doesn't want people knowing she genuinely cares about their well-being. "Come to think of it, why do you have anything to say to her at all?"

"I don't really have anything in mind when I get here," Ty Lee reveals.

"No surprise there," Mai groans.

The dig at her intelligence doesn't get past Ty Lee, but she dutifully ignores it.

"She's our friend, Mai," Ty Lee says.

"She nearly killed me."

"You nearly killed _her_."

"Because she wanted to kill _me_."

"That's a little complicated, isn't it?" Ty Lee frowns.

"Maybe for you."

Another jab at her intelligence. She ignores it again.

She smiles broadly. She's noticed that smiling usually puts her in a better mood, even if she's not happy to begin with.

"How about we go get some fire flakes?"

* * *

Katara and Aang share their serving of firing flakes set in the center of the table. After Aang had flown through the city alerting the citizens of the vote, he'd spotted Katara among the crowds. He'd landed directly in front of her with barely a thump on the ground and offered her dinner at the restaurant they just so happened to be standing near.

It's definitely one of the smoothest displays Katara has ever witnessed. Even Jet would feel a little outdone.

"Good flakes," Aang comments.

"Yeah," Katara agrees. "Tangy."

They eat in a silence for a while. Usually, the silence would be comfortable. That's how it's always been with the pair of them. Now, not so much.

"Does this qualify as our first date?" Aang blurts, hastily stuffing a fire flake into his mouth the second the question leaves it.

Katara stiffens. "A date?"

"Yeah," Aang confirms with his mouth full. "You know . . . since . . ."

"Is that Mai and Ty Lee?" Katara exclaims, grateful for the distraction. She knows this could be valuable to discuss, but she never wants to. If the two of them are to establish a relationship with each other, this talk is a significant initiation, but Katara never feels like having it.

Aang looks over his shoulder. Indeed, Mai and Ty Lee take seats at a table two down from them. Mai faces their direction, and as she sits she meets eyes with Katara. She remains stoic, content on ignoring the former rivals, but Ty lee notices her locked gaze. She turns in her chair and, recognizing the pair, waves her hand back and forth enthusiastically.

"Hi, guys!" she chirps across the empty table that separates them.

"Hey, Ty Lee," Katara responds kindly. As much as Ty Lee had put her friends in danger, without Azula, she had been proving rather harmless, friendly even.

As Ty Lee strikes up a conversation, Aang slumps in his seat, disappointed.


	3. What They Say About Old Habits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposting this chapter because I think there was a problem with it. Sorry if you already saw it!

"How could they not serve tea?!" Iroh laments dramatically.

"It's not that kind of place," Zuko reminds him irritably. "Fire flakes don't typically pair well with tea."

"Are you suggesting there is a substance in this world that does not go well with tea!" Iroh gasps.

Zuko huffs. "Are you going to drink your water or not?"

"How can they have water without tea? That's already half of the tea!"

Zuko pouts at the display, claiming another fire flake from the bowl they share. He sits across from his Uncle crammed into the back corner of the restaurant. When he took down his topknot and dressed in basic clothing, he could often get away with not being accosted in the streets with people asking for favors or commenting on something political. However, with a rather definitive scar on his face, it didn't hurt to keep to the shadows when he wanted a day out.

"Hey," Iroh pipes up, peering over Zuko's shoulder. "Isn't that your ladyfriend, Mai?"

"Probably," Zuko shrugs. "This is a popular restaurant."

"And is that your friend, Katara?"

Zuko raises a brow, and then peers over his own shoulder. Sure enough, on the other side of the restauraunt, Katara and Aang sit across from each other engaged in conversation with Ty Lee and Mai at a different table.

"Yeah, it is," Zuko confirms. "I wonder what they're doing here."

"Well, they're not drinking tea," Iroh pouts.

* * *

". . . and that's why there should be more circuses in the fire nation," Ty Lee concludes.

"That's . . . really interesting, Ty Lee," Katara offers.

Aang raises an eyebrow at her. She shrugs minutely.

"It's really not, though," Mai drones, twirling a fire flake in front of her face. She's never really cared for the food. She's mostly here for Ty Lee's benefit, not that she plans on admitting that.

Ty Lee pouts at her story's reception. It's clear that none of them believe she's aware of this reception, but she decides not to call out anyone on their attitude. She's moves on to another subject swiftly.

"So the whole thing with Azula is weird, right?"

Three dumbfounded stares meet her, along with a complementary silence.

Aang is the one who finally speaks, cautiously. ". . . Weird isn't the word I'd use."

"I'd say it's more like . . ." Mai trails off of whatever rude thing she was about to utter, but she faintly hears a familiar voice from behind her. She peeks over her shoulder and catches sight of her boyfriend sitting across from his Uncle. "Well, isn't this a party," she comments.

Katara looks to see what she's talking about and beams. Wonderful! Something else to repel the Aang-relationship conversation!

Zuko's already looking at her. She smiles, and he gives a weak wave. She knows better than to call him over here. No need to draw attention to the firelord when he's trying to have a nice meal with his Uncle.

His Uncle, however, notices Zuko's gaze. He immediately rises to his feet. He starts to shuffle towards the groups and Zuko, reluctantly, rises to shuffle after him, sweeping up their bowl.

"Hey, guys," he greets without waving, standing next to his girlfriend.

"Hey," Mai greets, not looking up at him. It's not out of malice or anything that she avoids eye contact. It's just . . . not totally necessary.

"Hi, Zuko," Ty Lee waves enthusiastically. Katara echoes her, a peg less cheerful, and Aang a moment later.

"Mind if we join you all?" Uncle beams.

"Oh, we're not all here together," Katara amends.

"Could you tell from the large table separating our groups?" Mai gestures in front of her.

"Well, that table fits Zuko and I nicely, then, don't you think?" Iroh comments. She promptly seats himself down behind the Avatar. Zuko shortly sits across from him. The six people, everyone sitting across from their respective companion, now form a line across the restaurant, ordered Mai, Ty Lee, Zuko, Iroh, Aang, and finally, Katara.

"Well, isn't this lovely," Mai drones.

"I hear ya," Aang grumbles, still disappointed.

Iroh ignores the complaints and starts up a conversation. "Fire flakes, eh? Good stuff. They don't make 'em like this back in the Earth Kingdom."

"Wow," Mai grumbles. "The Fire Nation making better fire flakes than the Earth Kingdom. Who saw that coming?"

"Come to think of it," Iroh ponders, "I don't think they ever even _served_ fire flakes."

"Fire. Fire flakes. Fire nation. It's in the name," Mai presses. "Is that seriously that difficult to grasp?"

"Mai, back off," Katara tries to whisper to the girl, but they are sitting the farthest apart. Mai can't hear her.

"I don't see why they Earth Kingdom couldn't make fire flakes of their own?" Iroh contemplates.

"They probably have more important things to occupy their time," Mai drones on, "like the state of the world."

"Well, they certainly find the time to make tea," Iroh comments, "unlike, _some_ places."

"Is food and drink all you care about?" Mai scowls.

"Would you mind showing my Uncle a bit of respect?" Zuko snaps, craning his neck in an attempt to face her.

The group goes silent. They all wait, anticipating Mai's response.

Mai considers rolling her eyes and brushing off his comment, but it's Zuko she's talking to. She doesn't want to lose him again. Come to think of it, she _had_ been speaking harshly, but that's habit for her at this point.

"'Kay," she replies, hastily biting into another fire flake.

Iroh chews on his own fire flake, a Cheshire grin on his face. To Mai, he probably seems oblivious to her bad attitude, but Zuko knows him too well. He knows his Uncle noticed, and is merely choosing not to show any hurt feelings for everyone's benefit.

And unbeknownst to any of the group, Ty Lee notices it, too. She knows what it's like to act like that.

Katara decides now's a good time to break the tension. No talking of Azula, or Zuko's M.I.A. mom, or relationship statuses, or how anyone is feeling.

"So, isn't it weird how this place doesn't serve tea?" is what she comes up with.

Iroh beams. Zuko sighs heavily, although he smiles, as he prepares for the onslaught of tea-logic. He doesn't cut in, this time, though.

From where he's sitting, Zuko and Katara can look at each other fairly easily. They meet eyes, and Zuko offers her a small smile.

 _Thanks,_ he mouths.

Katara smiles weakly, flustered. She shrugs like it's not a big deal. And it's not. It's almost second nature. Mai's habit is harshness, and Katara's is kindness.

Still, it's nice to be thanked for it.

As Iroh starts up talking about various kinds of tea, she adds, _you're welcome_ , mouthing it like he had.


	4. The Mouth Speaks What the Heart is Full Of

Katara feels confident that Aang will not try to bring up their relationship around so many people they each knew.

No, not relationship. They just kissed. That's not a relationship...Whatever it is, Aang isn't bringing it up here. This comforts Katara greatly. She's not usually one to beat around the bush about things, but she's also not one to hurt Aang's feelings.

Not that she would hurt Aang's feelings. It's not like she would reject him. Maybe.

It doesn't matter. They're not talking about it now. And she's glad.

"Are you staying in Zuko's palace tonight?" Aang asks instead.

"Yeah, I don't know where else I would go," Katara agreed.

"You could go back to your tribe. They've probably heard what happened. They might make you some sort of leader."

"And I'd be happy to contribute to the water tribe in any way I can. But Zuko could use all of us to support him through this whole Azula fiasco."

"So after the Azula vote, where will you go?"

"We just ended a war, Aang. I haven't really thought that far ahead."

"You haven't?"

Katara can feel Aang studying her, looking for his own answer. She doesn't look back at him, suddenly quite engrossed in her last fire flake. She hopes he doesn't think about it too much.

* * *

As Mai and Ty Lee begin to leave the restauraunt, Zuko trots up behind her.

"Mai, wait! Can I walk you home?"

"I guess, if you want," Mai replies brusquely. She's not sure why does that. She'd be flattered if Zuko walked her home.

"Can your Uncle walk home by himself?" Ty Lee asks.

"Hey!" Iroh calls from behind the group. "I'm old, not incompetent!"

"Perish the thought, Mister Iroh, Sir!" Ty Lee chirps. "Would you mind if I walked you home anyway?"

"I'd be honored, young lady!" Iroh smiles at her. Ty Lee bounds over to him, and takes him by the arm.

"Bye, guys!" Ty Lee calls out cheerfully to the couple she leaves behind.

"Geez, does she ever power down?" Mai sneers at her retreating friend. She starts with Zuko toward the palace.

"She's certainly cheerful," Zuko agrees. "But Aang's like that sometimes, too."

"Aang's a kid. Ty Lee is supposed to be a warrior."

"Azula seemed to think she was a warrior," Zuko recalls. "She recruited both of you to take down the Avatar."

"Speaking of Azula," Mai brings up the elephant in the room, "where'd you get the genius idea to let everyone but you decide how to handle her?"

"I've learned the hard way that I don't always make the best calls, so I wanted to give the Fire Nation a say for once."

"Yeah, because the Fire Nation is full of sensible people who always make the best calls."

"Did you have a better idea?"

Mai shrugs. She reaches out to hold Zuko's hand, pretending it's an absentminded gesture when she's been mustering up the courage to do so since they started walking.

"Do I get a vote tomorrow?" Mai asks him.

"I don't see why you shouldn't. You're a Fire Nation citizen."

"Well, I do live at the palace with you. Some people might think me voting would only serve your interests."

"Lots of people live at the palace now," Zuko tells her. Aang and all his friends had been holed up with him since the war ended.

"Yeah, when are the squatters leaving, by the way?" Mai scowls.

"Where else would they go?"

"Back to their homes? The blind one has rich Earth Kingdom parents. She doesn't need to stay here. And that _water_ bender girl could go back to the _water_ tribe."

"I don't want Katara to go yet. I could use her counsel as Firelord."

"What makes her a good counselor?"

"You clearly haven't had a conversation with her."

"You didn't mention the other one."

"Huh?"

"I mentioned Toph and Katara. You only mentioned Katara."

"Well, I want Toph to stay, too," Zuko says. "She's got good instincts. And did you know she metalbends? I didn't even know that was possible."

Mai studies him for a moment. "Huh," she decides to say.

"You said their names," Zuko notes.

"What?"

"A second ago you called them 'blind girl' and 'waterbender girl.' You acted like you didn't know their names."

Mai shrugs, defensive now. "I guess it came back to me."

Zuko considers pressing the matter. Why does Mai take such great strides to act like she doesn't care about anything? How was he ever supposed to be sure how she felt about him? But pushing it would just close her off more, he decides, so he lets the matter drop.

"How are you voting?" Zuko changes topics. "For the Azula trial."

Mai has clearly thought about the issue, but choose her words carefully. "Azula tried to kill you. And I know what she's like now. She'd do it again, if given the chance."

Zuko knows this. It doesn't phase him.

"I never want anything to happen to you, Zuko. And if she lives, something will."

Zuko stops in his tracks, eyes wide. He releases Mai's hand. She pretends it doesn't bother her.

"' _If_ she lives'?" he echoes her, dumbfounded.

"Yeah," she nods. "I'm voting for execution."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is a reference to Luke 6:45, but the context is pretty much entirely different.


	5. Children are the Future, and Parents are their Backstory

Zuko drops Mai off at her room with so much as a goodbye hug. His head is spinning. He hadn't even considered that the Fire Nation would opt to execute Azula. "Azula" had always been almost synonymous with Fire Nation for as long as can remember. They both embodied a mold he'd never fit into a, a father he couldn't impress, and a duty he couldn't fulfill. The have one stamp out the other was unthinkable.

But now, it's possible.

Or maybe it isn't? He doesn't know how the Fire Nation feels about Azula. They'd been beaten over the head with Fire Nation propaganda for as long as he can remember, and believed for year in the glory of the Fire Nation. Azula had been merely an agent of that glory, setting out to prove it wasn't just legend.

But she'd failed.

And it's good that she failed. Their father would have taken over the four kingdoms, and she would've ruled with an iron fist. But did the Fire Nation realize that? It wasn't their homeland at risk. Their homeland would've been exalted, not extinguished. Aang stopped that. Zuko helped stop that.

Would the Fire Nation hate Zuko instead of Azula? Zuko had shirked Fire Nation glory to sympathize with the enemy.

He doesn't know. He can't know.

But he'd elected to find out. Tomorrow at sundown. And submit to whatever the truth may be.

Maybe he'd made a terrible mistake.

He clambers down the corridor, finds an empty lounge, and collapses onto one of his couches, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

Katara and Aang walk to palace in almost complete silence. When Aang opens his mouth to say something, Katara cuts in.

"It was nice to see Zuko's Uncle tonight," she says. "I've always liked him."

"Yeah, me too," Aang agrees, abandoning whatever he was about to say.

"It's good that Mai and Ty Lee still hang out," Katara continues, not letting the conversation drift. "Since she has the Kyoshi warriors now, I didn't know if they'd keep being friends since they're so different. But Mai doesn't seem to have a lot of other friends."

"Well, she has Zuko," Aang points out.

"Yeah, but I don't know if they're friends exactly. For two people that love each other, they don't seem to like each other very much."

They both chuckle at the sentiment as they reach the palace.

"Well, I better get some shut-eye," Aang decides, stretches his arms over his head in a yawning gesture to further his point. "A lot of vote-related things to do tomorrow."

"We're not from the Fire Nation. We don't get a vote," Katara reminds him.

"Yeah, but I should spread the word about it," he says. "I can fly, after all."

"I know we're not from the Fire Nation, so we don't get a vote," she begins, "but what do you think we should do with Azula?"

Aang thinks for a moment, but when he speaks, he is decisive. "I told you before, forgiveness is an important step to begin healing. But it's not the Fire Nation who needs to forgive her, and it's Azula that needs to heal."

"How could we heal her? She's completely out of her mind."

"My vote," Aang says, "is to figure out how to heal her. She lives, and we rehabilitate her, however that may be."

"Who would figure that out?"

"Gee, if only we knew a really awesome healer."

"I'm not _that_ kind of healer, Aang."

"Yeah, well. Maybe the skill carries over."

Katara smiles at him. While she isn't sure of the specifics of how she feels about him, she's confident that she loves him. He's constantly reminding her. His capacity for forgiveness, even for a woman that tried to kill him on multiple occasions, is astounding.

"You should get to bed," Katara tells him, her motherly side making an appearance. "You have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," he replies with smirk. He takes a running leap and snaps his glider open, arching over the roof of the palace.

Katara chuckles.

Honestly, he could've walked.

She makes her way into the palace and traverses the corridors the old-fashioned way. It's only been a few days, but she's growing accustomed to living in this place. The heat is horrendous, but the buildings are architectural feats, and they provide a privacy that the huts in her tribe never afforded her.

However, the architecture is far more complicated than that of the Water Tribe huts, and she's gotten lost in the palace on several occasions. Tonight is no different.

She pushes open several wrong doors trying to find the guest room she's supposed to stay in. She makes her way down several red corridors with artistic renderings of fire trying to find the correct hallway. She opens three wrong doors before she deduces that it would be more productive to choose rooms without a light on.

The Fire Nation architecture and interior design could benefit from being a bit less predictable. She turns into a new corridor that feels correct and stops at a dark room with the door sitting ajar. Thinking she could conceivably have left the door open the morning, she gently pushes the door open.

Nope. Not her room.

At first, through the darkness, she doesn't notice Zuko. Her embarrassment grows as he comes into focus several feet in front of her on one of the lounge couches, head bowed into his hands. She slides her hand off of the door and attempts to make off unnoticed.

"Katara?" she hears as she turns.

She tenses, turns back around. "Heyyy, Zuko. Sorry if I was…"

Just then, she notices the state of him through the darkness, the mournfulness of his expression, and the weariness in his voice. The apology leaves her tone, replaced in excess with concern. "Zuko, what's wrong?"

"I'm just…thinking."

She takes a step into the room, pushing the door aside. "Anything in particular?"

"It's just that…Mai told me she was voting to execute Azula."

"Oh. Wow."

"Yeah. Wow."

"Wasn't she one of Azula's closest friends?"

"I wouldn't call them friends exactly," Zuko replies, "but if that's the level of sympathy one of Azula's most trusted confidants has for her, then what chance does she have at the mercy of the rest of the nation?"

Katara moves closer to him. He hasn't bothered to light any of the lanterns in the room, and she doesn't have the firebending capabilities to do so herself. There's a bit of feeling around before she finds the couch and lowers herself beside him.

"Are you going to cancel the vote?"

"How could I do that now? The people would feel cheated. I would be the dictator my father was."

"You're not your father."

"Sure. That's why I can't cancel the vote."

Zuko tugs the topknot out of his hair and rustles his hand through it, perhaps trying to quell any further resemblance to his father by wearing his hair down. He sets the trivial accessory that marks him as important down beside him. He sighs deeply and leans back against the couch. He's frustrated at the signs of youth and experience that have shown up mightily when he's only been Firelord for a few days.

"I wanted to do what's best for my people," Zuko says softly. "I haven't even done anything, and I already regret it. I guess I'm still pretty bad at being good."

Katara shakes her head slowly. "No, Zuko."

"Huh?"

"You're not…you're not bad at being good," she offers.

"I'm no Aang, Katara. I've literally tried to kill you before."

"Yes. Yes, that's certainly not my favorite thing about you, but…" she turns her body to face him more directly, as if this will make her point clearer. "You know how Aang grew up right? He was raised by people who cared deeply for him, who taught him about love and forgiveness and compassion since he could walk. I'm not saying he isn't right or strong or wonderful for carrying that into his life, but…but almost every force in his life was encouraging him to.

"But you're different. You grew up with a father who used you, a mother who left you, and a sister who…well, Azula. And for a while, you were cruel and mean and selfish. And maybe parts of you still are, but parts of me are too, and even parts of Aang are. If he had to choose between defeating Ozai and never penguin-sledding ever again, maybe it would've taken him a little longer to win."

Zuko chuckles at this.

"Just about every formative force in Aang's life taught him how to be kind and generous. When he grew up, got to make his own choices about what he believed, he had spent years being shown that compassion and positivity were rewarding. You didn't get shown that the way he did. And you…well, you grew up here, nursing a power that was fueled by anger. That doesn't excuse what you did, by any means, but… But one day, something changed for you, and we defeated your father and your sister and everything that you once coveted. And as much as I believe in Aang, I know we couldn't have done that without your help. If I was raised the way you were raised, I don't know what it'd be like today. And I don't think I could've done that."

Zuko fixes on her face, a difficult task in such dim lighting. "I appreciate that, Katara, but I wasn't raised in the wilderness. I had my uncle."

"Your father and Azula had General Iroh around their whole lives. And look how they turned out."

Zuko considers this. A silence blooms between them, and Katara begins to ponder whether that was one of the preachy, emotional hope-speeches she'd been mocked about in the past.

"Sorry. I don't even know if that made sense—"

"No, it did," Zuko assures her. "And thanks. I don't know if I buy it. But…thanks."

Katara's eyes have adjusted to the near-darkness by now. She can barely make out Zuko's face, much closer to hers than she expected. His hair is sloppy from him running his fingers through. She reaches a hand out to fix some of the loose strands, but she stops short and draws her hand away. She's not sure why.

Zuko watches the hand fall away from his face. He guesses Katara would assume he wouldn't see the gesture in the darkness. But he noticed.

"I just don't want you to walk around thinking all your friends are better than you," Katara decides to say.

"Right," Zuko responds doubtfully.

"I'm serious," she chastises.

"What about you?" Zuko says. "You weren't raised by airbenders and you still turned out the way you did."

"Please. I'm no Aang."

"Back before I joined up with you guys, you all fought Azula and my uncle got hurt. You offered to help me. I'd done nothing but hunt you down, and you offered to help me."

"Sure, but—"

"And later, in the catacombs-Do you remember the catacombs back in the Earth Kingdom? You offered to help me again. You offered to heal my scar."

She doesn't find a properly humble and reasonable response to this. She watches him, trying to find the proper words. In the darkness, Katara can barely make out the scar that is normally so prominent on his face in daylight.

"I've also threatened your life," Katara recalls.

"Yeah, well," Zuko shrugs, "we all have our moments. Unless we're Aang."

Katara laughs at this. "Yeah, if we're Aang, we disappear for days of soul-searching to figure out how _not_ to kill our enemies."

Zuko laughs at her addition, and for a moment, in the darkness, despite everything, they're laughing together.


End file.
